Container closure



lyz 940- i c. BARBER I 2,205,150

CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed May 25, 1959 FIG. 4

v INVENTOR 5 FOREST C. BARBER TO RNEY Patented July 2, 1940 NITED STATESPATENT I C CONTAINERICLOSUREIV Forest C. Barber, Bartlesville, Okla.Application May 25, 1939, Serial No.d275,606 7 Claims. (01. see-s9) Thisapplication is a continuation-in-part of my copending application SerialNo. 207,542, filed May 12, 1938. My present invention relates toclosures for open mouthed vessels, particularly to closures for vesselswhich have mouths substantially in a vertical plane, and moreparticularly to closures for use in connection with varioussmeltingoperations where molten metals are to be retained in a vessel,especially a horizontal ves- 0 sel, and hot and corrosive gases are notto be retained.

In the smelting of zinc ore to produce the metal in an uncombined form,zinc ore and coke in a finely divided or pulverized form are intimatelymixed and heated together. A chemical reaction takes place involvingthese materials and zinc isreleased from chemical combination with otherelements. The zinc can be obtained as a product of this reaction in'asubstantially pure metallic :10 form except as it may be more or lesscontami nated by other metals which may be present as components of theore.

In commercial practice this chemical reaction, or smelting, is oftencarried out'in a relatively small retort, which is frequently acylinderabout one foot in diameter andabout six feet long and closed at one end.This cylinder has walls about an inch thick which are composed of bakedclay, or other ceramic material, which is quite resistant to hightemperatures and the destructive action of hot corrosive materials, suchas molten or vaporized metals. This retort is placed in a furnace withits long axis substantially horizontal, the closed end being within thefurnace and the open end being at the'edgeof thefurnace andsubstantially flush with the outer wall thereof. This outer, open end ispreferably slightly lower than the inner, closed end so that any liquidmaterial such as molten metal which may at any 10 time be within theretort will tend to flow out of the retort and yet any solid materialsuch as un-,

I reacted ore or coke, or cinders and thelike, which remain afterreaction, will not tend to slide out of the retort by the force ofgravity.

l5 As a result of the high temperatures which exist within this retort,the zinc or other metal produced by the smelting of the ore therein willbe at or near its boiling point and therefore will have an appreciablevapor pressure and substan- 50 tial amounts, if not all, of thezinc willexist in the vapor state. metal vapor must be condensed, much as thevapor of any other material which it is desired to recover, and for thispurpose a condenser is ,5 used in cooperation with the aforementionedreis made.

In order to be collected the tort, This condenser is made of atemperature resistant ceramic material which is similar to or the sameas the material from which the retort In one form, this condenser hasthe shape of a hollow, truncated cone about two and I 5 one-half feetlong, with walls which are also about an inch thick. The base or largerend of e this condenser has essentially the same dimensions as the openend of the aforementioned re.- tort, against which it is fitted moreorless snug- 10 1y. The smaller end of this conical condenser is betweenabout two and six inches in diameter. The condenser rests upon bracketsor the like, with its axis also substantially horizontal, but withenough of an angle therefrom that the bottom .15 portion of the smallerend is slightly lower than the bottom portion of the larger end. Freemetal in a substantially molten state collects in this condenser,running into it from the retort and condensing from the gases and Vaporswhich leave .20

the retort and passiinto and through the interior of the condensertoward the smaller. end thereof.

It has heretofore been the practice of the art partially t'ofclose ordam the small end of this condenser with a handful, more or less,ofdamp- ;25

handful of material must of necessity be put in place by hand, andwhenever it is desired to draw off the molten metal which has collectedI in the condenser, this dam must be removed com- 35 I pletely. In doingthis, the dam material and molten. metal are raked or scraped into aladle, the dam material floating on top ofthe metal and being removedfrom time to time as collection of metal from large numbers ofindividual retort's proceeds. I I I I Inmy aforementioned copendingapplication Serial No. 207,542, there is describedaclosure suitable foruse in such a smelting operationand which possesses many advantages overthe prior art. Briefly, this closure includes a suitable cover comprisedof inert 'insulatingmaterial; and provided with a suitable vent, withmeans for Iattaching this cover to a condenser such as has just beendescribed, and with means for firmly holding the cover against the mouthof the condenser;

I have now invented a device, or closure, which iseasily and quicklyattached to the end of such a condenser, which will hold back the moltenmetal while allowing uncondensed vapors and ,5;

gases to escape, which may be easily and repeatedly opened and closedwithout undue efi'ort,

which is readily adjusted to remain open and to remain firmly closed,which is substantially immune to the corrosive and destructive action ofhigh temperatures and molten metals, and which possesses otheradvantages over the prior art. This closure includes a cover comprisingsuitable thermal insulating material and which is so fashioned as to fitfirmly against the smaller, open end of such a condenser and to hold themolten zinc in while, as will be described, still permitting theunwanted gases to escape; which is provided withv means to be more fullyhereinafter described which attaches the entire closure to thecondenser; which is attached to the said attaching means by arms fromeach side of said attaching means to each side of the cover which are so-positioned as to control and guide the cover in such a manner that itsown weight, and shape, aid in keeping it over and firmly pressed againstthe mouth of the condenser, and which aid in holding in molten metalwhich tends to escape from the condenser.

by its own weight.

Further objectsand advantages of my invention will be apparentto thoseskilled in the art from the accompanying disclosure and discussion.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing which forms apart of this disclosure, and in which: I

Fig. 1 presents a side plan view of the end of a zinc condenser, withone modification of my invention attached, and with the cover in aclosed position.

Fig. 2 presents the same plan View as Fig. 1, but with the mouth of thevessel uncovered and with the cover in a raised position, sitting out ofthe way on the condenser body.

Fig. 3 presents a top plan view of the same modification of myinvention, with the cover in a closed position.

Fig. 4 presents a front plan view of one modification of a cover, whichis the same modification shown in the preceding figures.

Fig. 5 presents a front planview of another modification of a cover.

The condenser body It) is in a substantially horizontal position, and issupported as has been discussed, by means not shown. Forthe'modification of my invention illustrated, the closure combination"is attachedv to the condenser body Ill by a band II which encircles andfirmly grips the condenser body' l0, and which can be loosened and drawntight by proper manipulation of the screw-bolt l2 which passes through aplain hole in the lug or ear l3 at one end of the" band II "and screwsinto a threaded 'hole in the lug or ear M at the other end of said band.Preferably, although not necessarily, the'band'comprises two halveswhich are hinged together opposite such connecting and adjusting means,such as with a hinge 9. The inside of the band I I may be provided witha" plurality of small, more or less the cover firmly.

sharp, short projections which tend to dig into the clay condenser [0,thereby aiding the band H to be securely fastened thereto withoutslipping. Another modification by which such a band can be securelyattached to the condenser body involves the presence of a shallow,sunken ring formed in the condenser body in which the said band may fit.Other modifications will now be apparent to those skilled in the art.

'A cover l5, of which a front plan view may be substantially circular,as shown inFig. 4 and of a size preferably slightly larger than the endof the condenser I0, fits firmly against the end of the condenser, asshown in Fig. 1. Attached on each side of this cover l5 are pivotalmeans such as the projecting pins 16 and ii, having their axes on acommon, horizontal line which is located well below the top of the coverl5, and is also above the center of gravity of the cover, so that whenhanging freely from the pivotal means it tends to hang in. asubstantially vertical plane,

and with the bottom and top in the proper relationships.

The body of the, cover l5 may be composed of molded ceramic material, orfire clay, similar to that now used in making the condenser body II]. Insuch a case it may be surrounded and held by a band IT, to which aresecurely attached the pivotal means l6 and 16'. When it is made of suchmolded ceramic material, it may be molded and formed directly in theencircling band l1, which may then be a continuous band, as shown; Whenthis cover is separately formed, it may be encircled by'an adjustableband adapted to be readily attached and removed, and to grip As anothermodification, a suitable metallic framework may be provided, carryingsuch pivotal means i6 and, i6, and the ceramic material of the cover maybe molded around it, leaving the said pivotal means protruding. It isdesirable that the cover l5 be comprised of material suitable forwithstanding the high temperatures and corrosive action of molten zinc,and such ceramic material as is used to make the condenser isinexpensive and fulfills these qualifications. However the cover 25 maybe made in a more mechanically durable manner, as by forming a coverblank of iron, or the like, and facing it on the side next to thecondenser with a suitable inert thermal insulating material such asasbestos, or the aforementioned fire clay, as will be readilyappreciated, the necessary pivotal means being readily attachable tosuch a metal body. When the cover is so made as to cover the entiremouth, as in Fig. 4, it is to be v Each pivotal means or pin may have acollar,

as shown, and, if necessary, pins [8 and I8 may be attachedto' andwell-below the collars, the

functions of which will become evident hereinafter.

Attached to the band so as to be on each side of the condenser body arepivotal means such as theprojecting. pins 20 and 20, having their axeson'a common'horizontal line which is appreciably higher than the line ofthe axes of pivotal means l6 and Hi, when the cover I5 is in a closedposition as shown, in Fig. 1. These pins are preferably provided withcollars, as shown.

Arms 22 and 22' connect andhold the cover totheband Ill. Each of thesearms has a hole in each end through which pass the pins H'iand 2|],

and I6 and 20', respectively. The sidewise movements of these arms inthe respective pivotal meansis restricted on the one side by the collarsprovided on these means, and the pins shown may be provided withtransverse holesthrough which cotter keys 23and 23', and 29 and 29', can

be passed, thus preventing the armsfrom coming off, and preferablywithawasherbetween the cotter key and the arm. Other suitable andfamiliar means for accomplishing this result may be adapted, as will bereadily appreciated. (While,

because of the structural relationships which exist, the arms 22 and 22'lie in the same plane,

they will generally and preferably not be parallel as longas thecondenser body I I has a shape simiflarto that of a truncated cone, asshown and discussed, but will preferably be more or less parallel to thesides of the condenser, as shown. However, itwill of course bepreferable that the ends of these arms will be perpendicular to" thepins, assho-wn. i

hooks.

may either be flattened and apertured to receive the pins 20 and 20, orthey may be hooked around side of the cover IS, the bottom oftheU-shaped member passing through the said apertures or The endsof suchan Ll-shapedmember them, or alternately the band ll may supportapertured lugs in place or the projecting pins 2D and 20', and the endsof the U-shaped meniher may bebent to pass through such apertures {andpivotally cooperate therewith as is readily appreciatedotherlmbdifications may also b pplied. i e a K'Ihe advantages of thisarrangement, and com bination, will now become more apparent. With theband ll firmly fixed on the condenser body .ID a suitable distance backofthe mouth of the condenser, the cover l5 'falls in front of the mouthand its own weight servesto fit itsnugly and firmly against the edges ofthe end of the condenser which define this mouth. a The position of theaxesof the pivotalmeans'll) and20', *shbstantially above the axes of thepivotalmeans l6 and it not only contributesto this action, but also actsto enable the coverl5 tomove away from the mouth when it is lifted, andalso assures that the cover may be lifted entirely free .ofthe mouth,and may be rested on top of the condenser, as shown'in Fig. 2. When inthis position, the projecting pins l8 and I8, if used, willmeet the arms22 and 22 to prevent the cover l5 from swinging back through these arms.

The cover I5 may be provided with a projecting lug or handle 21,preferably at the top as shown, which is useful in taking hold of thecover and moving it away from the mouth or swinging it in place,especially in cooperation with some long handled instrument in the handsof an operator, as will be readily appreciated.

It will be possible, of course, for the pivotal means 20 and 20' to behigher than pivotal means l6 and B6 on the cover, when it is closed, andstill be insufficiently high to permit the cover to bepushed up pastthetop part of the end of the condenser. Thus, when it is stated thatthe pivotal means on the attachment means is substantially higher thanthe pivotal means on the cover} it is tobe understood that the firstsaidpivotal means is not only higher, but also is enoughhigher' to obviatesuch difficultiest Clamping of the band H may be readily accomplishedwith the cover overthe mouth, and in this manner the proper distance ofthe band back of the mouth is readily attained. However, even should theband be a littlebackward or forward of the optimum position, thecooperation of the apparatus is suchthat the cover l5 will fit firmlyagainst the mouth. 'I'hiswill be particularly true if the cover is ofsuch a size and shape as normally to project a little above and belowthe top and bottom, respectively, of the mouth,

and suitable provision for this is contemplated. When. the circumstanceswarrant, this cover will preferably be somewhat ellipticalrather thancircular as shown in Fig. 4, with the long axis being the vertical axis.The above mentioned cooperation of the apparatus to compensate forslight deviations from the optimum for the position of the, band, or asit may be, of the length of the arms22 and 22', is found to be ofespecial advantage when a sunken ring, or the like, is provided for thisattachment means on a plurality of condenserbodies, and any one closureapparatus is to be fitted to any one of a number of such condenserbodies.

In most cases the weight of the cover I5, in cooperation with theattachment .and pivoting elements described, will besuflicient to holdthis cover firmly againstthe edges of the mouth of the condenser, and towithstand any pressure of molten metal whichmay press against the bottomof it. In the event that this is not sufficient to keep the cover firmlypressed against the mouth at all times, a clip or catch, not shown, mayextend from the top of the band H and engage the top of the cover 15 andpress down upon it when it is in a closed position, cooperating with thearms 22 and 22' to hold the cover firmly. Such a catch maybe disengagedby hav ing=it pivotally connected to the band H and movable in ahorizontal plane to disengage the cover 15 and permit it to be raisedwhen desired.

A modified form of cover is shown in Fig. 5,

the body of the cover being represented by l5, but with otherwisesubstantially the same pivotal means arrangement as hereinbeforediscussed. With this modification, there is a substantially fiat portion25, so 'formed that with this cover over the mouth of the condenserthere is a space left between the top of the cover and the inner topofthe mouth, thus permitting gases to escape from the condenser. Thisform of cover can conveniently be formed of a metal piece, such as iron,faced on the inside with a suitable thermal insulating layer, or of aniron frame over which is molded a ceramic cover, as previouslydiscussed.

A minor portion of the zinc originally present in the ore often escapesfrom the condenser along with eflluent gases, generally in the form offine, suspended particles of. zinc oxide and/or zinc.

Most ofthis valuable material, which in many and still fulfill therequirements andcarry out the spirit of the invention, although oneparticular means will not necessarily be the equivalent-of another, andalljsuch modifications should be provided with suitable pivotal means,to which thearms 22 and 22 may be attached, and with the limitationsdiscussed.- Thus, as one other example, a yoke with projecting pivotalmeans may be molded in the body of the condenser.

What I claim is:

1. A closure for the mouth of an elongated horizontalvessel,,which,comprises in combination attachment means to secure theclosure to the body of said'vessel, a cover for the mouth of said vesseladaptedto retain a liquid material and to pass gases and vapors, an armpivotally attached to each'side of said cover at points on a horizontalline passing between the center and top of said cover, each said armbeing pivotally attached to said attachment'means at points on ahorizontal line and relatively higher than the first said horizontalline.

2. In a closure for a horizontal elongated vessel having a mouth at oneend which is substantially in a vertical plane, the combination whichcomprises a cover for said mouth adapted to fit closely at the bottomthereof to retain liquid material and adapted to permit gases and vaporsto escape from the top thereof, attachment means secured to the body ofsaid vessel, pivotal means on either side of said cover having a commonhorizontal axis, saidaxis being between the top of said cover and itscenter of gravity, pivotal means on either side of said attachment meanshaving a common horizontal axis, the axis of the second said pivotalmeans being substantially above the first said pivotal meanswhen saidcover is closed, and arms joining said attachment means and said cover,

3. A closure combination, which comprises an elongated, substantiallyhorizontal vessel having a mouth at one end, a cover for said mouthadapted to retain a molten metal in said vessel and to pass gases andvapors from said vessel, attachment means secured to said vessel-nearthe mouth end, an arm attached thereto at one end pivotally connected toeach side of said cover and between thecenter of gravity and the top ofsaid cover, the other end of each said arm being pivotally connected tosaid attachment means and at points substantially higherthan saidconnections to the cover when in" a closed position, the said armshaving a length sufficient to hold said coverfirmly against said mouthwhen closed. a

4. In a zinc condenser, the combination comfirst said horizontal line.

awn-1m prising asubstantially horizontal condenser body,attachments-means secured to said condenser body, an ,arm on either,side of said condenser body and pivotallyattached to said attachmentmeans on ahorizontal axis appreciably above the center of said condenserbody, a cover for themouth of said condenser body adapted to fit firmlyagainst said mouth at the bottom portion thereof and to permit gases toescape from the upper portion thereof, the said arms being pivotallyattached to said cover on a horizontal axis between the-center and topthereof, the said horizontal axis on said cover being substantiallylower than thesaid horizontal axis on said attachment means when saidcoveris closed.

5. A closure for the mouth of a vessel which is substantially in avertical plane,,which comprises a cover comprising thermal insulatingmaterial, a pivotal means located. on each side of said cover eachcomplementary tov the other and located on a line substantially abovethe center of gravity of said cover, a Vent hole located in the 1 toppart of said cover, attachment meansfor attaching said closure to said"vessel, pivotal means on said attachment'means located on each side ofsaid vessel, each complementary tothe otherand located so as tobeipositioned substantially higher than i the corresponding pivotalmeans on said cover whenclosed; andanarm joining each pivotal means onsaid attachment means with the corresponding-pivotal means on saidcover. v

6. A closure for the mouth of 1 an elongated horizontal vessel, whichcomprises in combination a' cover for the mouth of said vessel adaptedto retain a liquid material, an arm pivotally attached to each side ofsaid cover at points on a substantially horizontal line passing betweenthe center and top of ,said cover, each said arm being pivotallyattachedto said vessel at points substantially on a horizontal line andrelatively higher than the first said horizontal line.

7. A closure combination, which comprises a substantially horizontalvessel having a mouth side of said cover at-points on a substantiallyhorizontal line passing between the center and top of saidcover, eachsaid arm being pivotally attached to said vessel at points substantiallyon a horizontal line and relatively higher than the FOREST C. BARBER.

